1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the conversion of high energy consuming incandescent lighting to energy efficient lighting and particularly to a conversion system that is non-reversible.
2. Background of the Invention
Incandescent lamps, commonly referred to as light bulbs, have widespread usage in providing illumination. The lamps are produced with a standardized threaded base that will fit into a standard Edison-type threaded socket. The lamps are installed by merely screwing the base of the lamp into the socket. Replacing a lamp or interchanging the lamp with another of a different wattage rating is thus a simple task. The lamp is simply screwed out of the socket and the replacement lamp is screwed into the socket. The lamps come in a variety of wattage ratings and are interchangeable in the standard socket. The socket is not limited with respect to the wattage rating of the lamp to be utilized so a 15 watt lamp for example may be exchanged for a 100 watt lamp. The selection of the lamp size is generally left up to the consumer, although many light fixtures using the standard sockets have a recommended maximum wattage rating.
The incandescent lamp, although it is still widely used and accepted as an illuminating unit, has several drawbacks. The lamps are not energy efficient, they generate unwanted heat during use and generally have a relatively short life.
Energy efficient lighting systems, such as fluorescent, is widely used to provide lighting in office buildings, factories and the like. The fixtures for the fluorescent lighting are most often arranged to accept long fluorescent tubes such as tubes of four foot or eight foot lengths although other lengths and configurations are available. The fluorescent lighting fixtures are arranged to receive fluorescent tubes only and are not configured to accept the interchange of other lighting units such as incandescent lamps.
The recognition of the benefits of low energy consumption, longer life and less heat generated by the fluorescent lighting has led to the development of compact energy efficient lamp units that are directly interchangeable with the incandescent lamps. To change over, the incandescent lamp is simply removed from the conventional lamp receiving socket and the energy efficient lamp unit is installed in the socket. Changeover is that easy and simple. The problem is it is also just as easy to change back to the old inefficient lighting provided by the incandescent lamps.
The initial cost of the energy efficient lighting unit is more than that of the incandescent lamp it is to replace. The higher initial cost coupled with the ability of converting back to usage of the incandescent lamp has deterred the conversion to energy efficient lighting. There therefore has been a reluctance on the part of manufacturers, power companies and others to promote the retrofit of incandescent lighting systems to the energy efficient lighting systems that are currently available on the market. Some power companies will not offer incentives, such as rebates, for the purchase of energy efficient lighting since the user may readily convert back to the old high energy consuming incandescent lamp. Currently there is no assurance that a user will continue usage of the energy efficient lighting system. Should a failure occur with an energy efficient light system, such as failure of a ballast or fluorescent tube, the energy efficient light system may be merely removed from the socket and replaced with a low cost incandescent lamp. Thus, when the energy efficient lamp or the lamp and ballast fail, a user may readily convert back to the high energy consuming incandescent lamp. This is to be avoided. The user, although benefitting in the short term by purchasing the low cost replacement incandescent lamp will lose in the long term by the increased power usage and the necessity to purchase multiple incandescent lamps since they have a shorter life.
There currently is not a way to retrofit and dedicate the conventional socket to the energy efficient lamps to insure continued usage of the energy efficient lamps. A system is required that will dedicate an incandescent lamp receiving socket to receive only energy efficient lighting systems and prevent the switch over to the old incandescent lighting system.